Description of the attraction
One of the striking sights of Seville is the palace that belonged to the family of the dukes of Alcala and was named the House of Pilate. The construction of the palace lasted from the end of the 15th to the middle of the 16th century. This building, considered today one of the finest examples of Spanish architecture of the 16th century, was commissioned by Pedro Henriques de Quiñones and his wife Catalina de Ribera, the founders of the Henriquez family. The construction was completed under their son, Fadrique Henriques de Ribera, Marquis of Tarifa. It was he who gave the building its glorified name - the House of Pilate. The name of the palace is due to the fact that in the appearance of the building there is a similarity with the palace that belonged to Pontius Pilate. It is also believed that the distance between the residence of the dukes and the Cruz del Campo chapel, located outside the city, is identical to the distance that separates Pilate's Palace and Calvary in Jerusalem.
External and internal decoration of the palace is made in the styles of the Italian Renaissance and Mudejar. Openwork forged lattices on the windows and doors of the building are created in the Spanish plateresque style. In the interior of the palace, special attention should be paid to the plafonds painted by Francesco Pacheco, canvases by Luca Giordano, as well as a series of paintings by Francisco Goya dedicated to the theme of bullfighting.
The most interesting part of this architectural structure is its inner courtyard, in the appearance of which the strong influence of Arab stylistic devices can be clearly traced. The inner walls of the courtyard are decorated with Mudejar ornaments and tiles depicting the coats of arms of the ducal dynasty. The dense greenery of the trees growing here creates a unique comfort and coolness. There is a beautiful marble fountain in the center of the courtyard.
